Fields south of Christmas Hill Park catch fire; officials
uncertain, but believe blaze is suspicious
Gilroy – Firefighters spent the first day of summer combating a one-acre grass fire in the fields south of Christmas Hill Park Wednesday afternoon. Fire officials were uncertain how the fire started, but believe it is suspicious in nature.
Thick white smoke was visible from 10th Street shops about 3pm and firefighters used all-terrain wild land trucks to cut off the flames before they ignited nearby eucalyptus trees and fields. Several passersby called 911 and reported seeing smoke in between the trees.
“If this was really dry it would have spread really fast,” said Gilroy Fire Division Chief Phil King. “It can spread faster than you can run.”
The wind carried the smoke towards the houses near Gilroy Presbyterian Church in the distance. The field is used for parking during the Gilroy Garlic Festival and is located near Miller Avenue and Santa Teresa Boulevard. No houses were threatened by the fire.
Firefighters contained the fire within 30 minutes, wetting the grass around the perimeter of the fire and turning the soil so that dirt formed a natural fire break. A few downed trees and wood stumps burned slowly between them. Firefighters spent more than three hours putting out hot spots to ensure that the fire would not smolder and ignite again.
According to King, fire officials expect the fire season to peak in late July as temperature soar and grasses continue to dry out.
